Public Registry for animal cruelty convictions in New Hampshire

Two recent cases of animal cruelty in New Hampshire have garnered national attention; Jennifer Choate of Bristol, NH has been charged with more than 22 counts of animal cruelty for "housing" German Shepherd puppies in an unheated barn with no access to fresh water; this incident occurred mere months after two suspicious fires at her property in a neighboring town killed 36 German Shepherds. Likewise, Christina Fay of Wolfeboro, NH was convicted of 10 counts of animal cruelty and was still allowed to maintain ownership of one dog.

For many animal lovers, animal cruelty penalties in our state are not punitive enough to match the severity of the crimes, and in many cases the perpetrators are allowed to continue their work with animals. The state of New Hampshire should create an animal cruelty registry, update it regularly, and make it available to the owners of pet stores, rescue organizations, humane organizations, breeders and the general public so that we might make informed decisions about who we adopt or sell animals to.